Input devices

Abstract

Input device (100A) comprising: a manipulation unit (10A) comprising an operating knob (11A) which enables rotation of the operating knob (11A) about a rotation axis (P10) and pressing of the operating knob (11A) along the rotation axis (P10) and is designed to output a first signal (S1A) according to the rotation of the operating knob (11A) and a second signal (S2A) according to the pressing of the operating knob (11A); a first support plate (34A) having a surface on which the manipulation unit (10A) is mounted; a second carrier plate (31A) arranged on a side of the first carrier plate (34A) opposite the manipulation unit (10A); a tilting mechanism (70A) comprising an axis of circular cylindrical shape fixed to the first support plate (34A) perpendicular to the rotation axis (P10), and comprising a bearing (43A) fixed to the second support plate (31A) for holding the axis rotatable about the axis (321A) and allowing the first support plate (34A) to pivot about the axis (321A) between a first manipulation position and a second manipulation position relative to the second support plate (31A); a detector (33A) mounted on a surface of the second support plate (31A) facing the first support plate (34A) and configured to output a third signal (S3A) when the first support plate (34A) is in the second manipulation position; a movable member (32A) mounted on the first support plate (34A), the movable member (32A) facing the second support plate (31A); and an elastic element (50A) for transmitting an elastic force to the first support plate (34A) to move the first support plate (34A) from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position, wherein the movable member (32A) comprises a projection (323A) and a support (324A) projecting from the movable member (32A) toward the second support plate (31A), wherein the projection is located at one end in a longitudinal axis of the movable element (32A) and the support is located at the other end in the longitudinal axis of the movable element (32A), and wherein the elastic element (50A) is arranged around the projection (323A) and the carrier (324A) is arranged to be supported on the second carrier plate (31A).

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present disclosure relates to input devices capable of providing inputs to various electronic devices. background

[0002] In the following, a conventional input device according to the corresponding prior art is described.

[0003] A conventional input device includes an operating part, a rotary operating electronics part located below the operating part and coupled to the operating part, and a support plate electrically connected to the rotary operating electronics part by soldering or the like. The operating part rotates in a first direction and a second direction, the first direction being opposite to the second direction. The input device provides an output in accordance with the amount of rotation and the direction of rotation of the operating part.

[0004] An example of the conventional input device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. JP 2014 - 107 170 A.

[0005] However, the conventional input device only provides output when it rotates in the first direction and the second direction, which limits the types of inputs.

[0006] Furthermore, an input device is known from DE 103 39 469 A1, comprising: a manipulation unit comprising an operating knob, which enables rotation of the operating knob about a rotation axis and pressing of the operating knob along the rotation axis and is designed to output a first signal according to the rotation of the operating knob and a second signal according to the pressing of the operating knob; a first carrier plate with a surface on which the manipulation unit is fastened; a second carrier plate, which is arranged on a side of the first carrier plate opposite the manipulation unit;a tilting mechanism comprising a circular-cylindrical axis fixed to the first support plate perpendicular to the rotation axis, the tilting mechanism comprising a bearing fixed to the second support plate for supporting the axis rotatably about the axis and allowing the first support plate to pivot about the axis between a first manipulation position and a second manipulation position relative to the second support plate; and a detector mounted on a surface of the second support plate facing the first support plate and configured to output a third signal when the first support plate is in the second manipulation position.

[0007] Furthermore, US 8 941 585 B2 shows an input device with touch input function, which has an input member that can be operated to perform at least one of two functions: sliding and pressing. The input member has a touch input device that responds to a user's touch. The input device has an operation sensor that detects operation of the input member. The input means and the operation sensor form an input unit that is supported by a support means such that the input unit is movable between a locking position and an unlocking position with respect to a base part on which the input unit is supported. The input device has a locking mechanism that locks the input means in the locking position in an inoperative state and releases the input means in the unlocking position in an operative state.

[0008] Taking into account the above-mentioned disadvantages, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide input devices capable of controlling various electronic devices. RevelationTechnical Problem

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to provide input devices capable of providing input to various electronic devices. Technical solution

[0010] An input device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a manipulation unit; a first support plate; a second support plate; a tilting mechanism; and a detector. The manipulation unit comprises an operating knob (or handle), enables rotation of the operating knob about a rotation axis and pressing of the operating knob along the rotation axis, and is configured to output a first signal corresponding to the rotation of the operating knob and a second signal corresponding to the pressing of the operating knob. The first support plate has a surface on which the manipulation unit is mounted. The second support plate is arranged on a side of the first support plate opposite the manipulation unit.The tilting mechanism comprises an axis of circular cylindrical shape, attached to the first support plate perpendicular to the rotation axis, and a bearing, attached to the second support plate, for supporting the axis rotatably about the axis and allowing the first support plate to pivot about the axis between a first manipulation position and a second manipulation position. The detector is mounted on a surface of the second support plate facing the first support plate and is configured to output a third signal when the first support plate is in the second manipulation position. A movable element is attached to the first support plate, the movable element facing the second support plate; and an elastic element is provided for transmitting an elastic force to the first support plate to move the first support plate from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position.The movable member comprises a projection and a support projecting from the movable member toward the second support plate, wherein the projection is located at one end in a longitudinal axis of the movable member and the support is located at the other end in the longitudinal axis of the movable member, and wherein the elastic member is arranged around the projection and the support is configured to be supported on the second support plate.

[0011] An input device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a manipulation unit, a body, and a detector. The manipulation unit includes an operation knob, enables rotation of the operation knob about a rotation axis and pressing of the operation knob along the rotation axis, and is configured to output a first signal corresponding to the rotation of the operation knob and a second signal corresponding to the pressing of the operation knob. The body holds the manipulation unit so that it can move from a first manipulation position to a second manipulation position along a direction of pressing the operation knob. A first support plate having a surface to which the manipulation unit is attached is provided, a second support plate opposite the first support plate, and a movable member that supports the first support plate.The detector is arranged on the second support plate and configured to output a third signal when the manipulation unit is in the second manipulation position. The movable element is configured to move toward the detector by pressing the handle, wherein the movable element has a stop that protrudes from the movable element toward the second support plate, and wherein the stop can be brought into contact with the second support plate.

[0012] An input device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a manipulation unit, a body, and a detector. The manipulation unit comprises an operation knob, enables rotation of the operation knob about a rotation axis and pressing of the operation knob along the rotation axis, and is configured to output a first signal corresponding to the rotation of the operation knob and a second signal corresponding to the pressing of the operation knob. The body holds the manipulation unit such that it can move from a first manipulation position to a second manipulation position along a direction opposite to a direction of pressing the operation knob. The detector is configured to output a third signal when the manipulation unit is in the second manipulation position.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an input device may comprise a manipulation unit, a support plate, a tilting mechanism, and a detector. The manipulation unit may comprise an operating knob that is rotatable about a rotation axis and pressed along the rotation axis, and may output a first signal corresponding to rotation of the operating knob and a second signal corresponding to pressing the operating knob. The support plate may have a surface to which the manipulation unit is attached. The tilting mechanism may comprise a cylindrical axis attached to the support plate and a bearing attached to the body, wherein the axis may be perpendicular to the rotation axis, wherein the bearing may support the axis rotatably about the axis, and wherein the tilting mechanism may allow the support plate to pivot about the axis between a first manipulation position and a second manipulation position.The detector may be arranged on the surface of the carrier plate facing the body and emit a third signal when the carrier plate is in the second manipulation position. Beneficial effects

[0014] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the input device (100A) of the first aspect comprises: a manipulation unit (10A); a first support plate (34A); a second support plate (31A); a tilting mechanism (70A); and a detector (33A). The manipulation unit (10A) comprises an operating knob (11A), enables the rotation of the operating knob (11A) about a rotation axis (P10), and enables the pressing of the operating knob (11A) along the rotation axis (P10). The manipulation unit (10A) is configured to output a first signal (S1A) according to the rotation of the operating knob (11A) and a second signal (S2A) according to the pressing of the operating knob (11A). The first support plate (34A) has a surface to which the manipulation unit (10A) is attached. The second support plate (31A) is located on an opposite side of the first support plate (34A) from the manipulation unit (10A).The tilting mechanism (70A) comprises a circular-cylindrical shaft (321A) fixed to the first support plate (34A) perpendicular to the rotation axis (P10), and a bearing (43A) fixed to the second support plate (31A) for rotatably supporting the shaft (321A) along a circumference of the shaft (321A). The tilting mechanism (70A) enables the first support plate (34A) to move about the shaft (321A) between a first manipulation position and a second manipulation position relative to the second support plate (31A). The detector (33A) is mounted on a surface of the second support plate (31A) facing the first support plate (34A) and is configured to output a third signal (S3A) when the first support plate (34A) is in the second manipulation position. The first aspect can provide outputs according to different manipulation inputs and thus realize different outputs.This enables the input device to control multiple electronic devices.

[0015] The input device (100A) of the second aspect is to be implemented in combination with the first aspect. In the second aspect, the axis (321A) is accommodated in a portion of the control knob (11A) that projects onto the first support plate (31A). Accordingly, the second aspect can facilitate the pivoting of the first support plate (34A) using the manipulation unit (10A).

[0016] The input device (100A) of the third aspect is to be implemented in combination with the first or second aspect. In the third aspect, the input device (100A) further comprises a return element (50A) configured to transmit an elastic force to the first support plate (34A) in order to move the first support plate (34A) from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position. According to the third aspect, manageability can be improved.

[0017] The input device (100B) of the fourth aspect comprises: a manipulation unit (10B); a body (40B); and a detector (33B). The manipulation unit (10B) comprises an operation knob (11B), enables rotation of the operation knob (11B) about a rotation axis (P10), and enables pressing of the operation knob (11B) along the rotation axis (P10). The manipulation unit (10B) is configured to output a first signal (S1B) corresponding to the rotation of the operation knob (11B) and a second signal (S2B) corresponding to the pressing of the operation knob (11B). The body (40B) holds the manipulation unit (10B) to enable it to move from a first manipulation position to a second manipulation position along a direction of pressing the operation knob (11B). The detector (33B) is designed to output a third signal (S3B) when the manipulation unit (10B) is in the second manipulation position.The fourth aspect can provide outputs according to different manipulation inputs, thus realizing different outputs. This makes the input device capable of controlling multiple electronic devices.

[0018] The input device (100B) of the fifth aspect is to be implemented in combination with the fourth aspect. In the fifth aspect, the input device (100B) further comprises a return element (50B) configured to transmit an elastic force to the manipulation unit (10B) in order to move the manipulation unit (10B) from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position. According to the fifth aspect, manageability can be improved.

[0019] The input device (100C) of the sixth aspect comprises: a manipulation unit (10C); a body (40C); and a detector (33C). The manipulation unit (10C) comprises an operation knob (11C), enables rotation of the operation knob (11C) about a rotation axis (P10), and enables pressing of the operation knob (11C) along the rotation axis (P10). The manipulation unit (10C) is configured to output a first signal (S1C) corresponding to the rotation of the operation knob (11C) and a second signal (S2C) corresponding to the pressing of the operation knob (11C). The body (40C) supports the manipulation unit (10C) to enable it to move from a first manipulation position to a second manipulation position along a direction opposite to a direction in which the operation knob (11C) is pressed. The detector (33C) is designed to output a third signal (S3C) when the manipulation unit (10C) is in the second manipulation position.The sixth aspect can provide outputs corresponding to different manipulation inputs, thus realizing different outputs. This makes the input device capable of controlling multiple electronic devices.

[0020] The input device (100C) of the seventh aspect is to be implemented in combination with the sixth aspect. In the seventh aspect, the input device (100C) further comprises a return element (50C) configured to transmit an elastic force to the manipulation unit (10C) in order to move the manipulation unit (10C) from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position. According to the seventh aspect, manageability can be improved.

[0021] The input device (100D) of the eighth aspect comprises: a manipulation unit (10D); a support plate (34D); a tilting mechanism (70D); and a detector (33D). The manipulation unit (10D) comprises an operation button (11D) that is rotatable about a rotation axis (P10) and pressed along the rotation axis (P10), and outputs a first signal (S1D) corresponding to the rotation of the operation button and a second signal (S2D) corresponding to the pressing of the operation button. The support plate (34D) has a surface to which the manipulation unit (10D) is attached.The tilting mechanism (70D) comprises a cylindrical shaft (321D) fixed to the support plate (34D) and a bearing fixed to the body (40D), wherein the shaft (321D) is perpendicular to the rotation axis (P10), the bearing (43D) rotatably supports the shaft (321D) about the shaft (321D), and the tilting mechanism enables the support plate (34D) to pivot about the shaft (321D) between a first manipulation position and a second manipulation position. The detector (33D) is arranged on the surface of the support plate (34D) facing the body (40D) and outputs a third signal (S3D) when the support plate (34D) is in the second manipulation position. The eighth aspect can provide outputs corresponding to different manipulation inputs and thus realize different outputs. This enables the input device to control multiple electronic devices.

[0022] The input device (100D) of the ninth aspect is to be implemented in combination with the eighth aspect. In the ninth aspect, the support plate (34D) moves from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position under its own weight. In the ninth aspect, a recovery element, such as an elastic element, is not required, so that manufacturing costs can be reduced and usability can be improved.

[0023] The input device (100A; 100B; 100C; 100D) of the tenth aspect is to be implemented in combination with any one of the first to ninth aspects. In the tenth aspect, the first signal (S1A; S1B; S1C; S1D) is a signal indicating a rotation angle about the rotation axis (P10) of the control knob (11A; 11B; 11C; 11D). Accordingly, the tenth aspect is applicable to electronic devices that require the input of rotation angles. Description of the drawings Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an input device of Embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the input device of Embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the input device of Embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 1. Fig. 5 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 1 in a pressed state. Fig. 6 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 1 in a more strongly pressed state. Fig. 7 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 1 in the tilted state. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including the input device of Embodiment 1. Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of an input device of Embodiment 2. Fig. 10 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the input device of Embodiment 2. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the input device of Embodiment 2. Fig. 12 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 2. Fig. 13 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 2 in a pressed state. Fig. 14 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 2 in a more strongly pressed state. Fig. 15 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 2 in another pressed state. Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including the input device of Embodiment 2. Fig. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the input device of Embodiment 3. Fig. 18 is an exploded bottom perspective view of an input device of Embodiment 3. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the input device of Embodiment 3. Fig. 20 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 3. Fig. 21 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 3 in a pressed state. Fig. 22 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 3 in a more strongly pressed state. Fig. 23 is a portion of the input device of Embodiment 3 in a pulled state. Fig. 24 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including the input device of Embodiment 3. Fig. 25 is an exploded perspective view of an input device of Embodiment 4. Fig. 26 is a perspective view of an input device of Embodiment 4. Fig. 27 is a cross-sectional view of an input device of Embodiment 4. Fig. 28 is a cross-sectional view of a pressed state of an input device of Embodiment 4. Fig. 29 is a cross-sectional view of a more strongly pressed state of an input device of Embodiment 4. Fig. 30 is a cross-sectional view of a tilted state of an input device of Embodiment 4. Fig. 31 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device having an input device of Embodiment 4. Fig. 32 is a flowchart of a process for switching a function of an electronic device by tilting. Embodiment of the invention

[0024] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or equivalent elements. Furthermore, a detailed description of known techniques related to the present disclosure will be omitted in order not to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure. Embodiment 1Input device of Embodiment 1

[0025] In the following, an input device 100A of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the Fig. 1 to 8. It should be noted that each of the Fig. 4 to Fig. 7 illustrates the input device 100A with its forward and reverse directions corresponding to an upward and downward direction shown in the illustration. However, there is no intention to limit the use of the input device 100A.

[0026] Fig. 4 shows the input device 100A, which comprises a manipulation unit 10A, a first support plate 34A, a second support plate 31A, a tilting mechanism 70A, and a detector 33A. The manipulation unit 10A comprises an operating button (rotating part) 11A, enables the rotating of the operating button 11A about a rotation axis P10 and the pressing of the operating button 11A along the rotation axis P10, and is designed to generate a first signal S1A (see Fig. 8) according to the rotation of the control knob 11A and a second signal S2A (see Fig. 8) according to the pressing of the control button 11A. The manipulation unit 10A is fixed to a surface (the upper surface in Fig. 4) of the first support plate 34A. The second support plate 31A is located on an opposite side (the bottom in Fig. 4) the first support plate 34A from the manipulation unit 10A. The tilting mechanism 70A comprises an axis 321A in a circular cylindrical shape, which is fixed to the first support plate 34A perpendicular to the rotation axis P10, and a bearing 43A, which is fixed to the second support plate 31A, for rotatably supporting the axis 321A along a circumference of the axis 321A. The tilting mechanism 70A enables the first support plate 34A to rotate about the axis 321A between a first manipulation position (see Fig. 4) and a second manipulation position ( Fig. 7) relative to the second support plate 31A. The detector 33A is mounted on a surface facing the first support plate 34A (the upper surface in Fig. 4) of the second carrier plate 31A and designed to receive a third signal S3A (see Fig. 8) when the first carrier plate 34A is in the second manipulation position.

[0027] According to the input device 100A, rotating the control knob 11A causes the manipulation unit 10A to output the first signal S1A. Pressing the control knob 11A causes the manipulation unit 10A to output the second signal S2A. In addition, tilting the control knob 11A causes the first support plate 34A to move from the first manipulation position to the second manipulation position, so that the detector 33A outputs the third signal S3A. In summary, the input device 100A detects three actions: rotating, pressing, and tilting the control knob 11A, and then outputs output signals (the first to third signals S1A to S3A) corresponding to the actions, respectively. Thus, various types of inputs can be realized with one manipulation unit 10A. This enables the input device 100A to control multiple electronic devices.

[0028] Detailed descriptions of the input device 100A are given below.

[0029] The input device 100A comprises the manipulation unit 10A (see Fig. 3) and an output unit 20A (see Fig. 8). The manipulation unit 10A (the control knob 11A) is designed to rotate, move along the rotation axis P10, and move along an axial direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10.

[0030] The output unit 20A outputs the first signal S1A, which corresponds to the rotational directions of the manipulation unit 10A, in response to a rotation of the manipulation unit 10A. Furthermore, the output unit 20A outputs the second signal S2A, which corresponds to a movement of the manipulation unit 10A along the rotation axis P10. In addition, the output unit 20A outputs the third signal S3A, which corresponds to the movement in the axial direction of the manipulation unit 10A, in response to a movement of the manipulation unit 10A in the axial direction.

[0031] The input device 100A is configured as described above. The input device 100A includes the manipulation unit 10A, which is movable in various ways (rotation, movement in the direction of the rotation axis P10, and movement in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10), and includes the output unit 20A for outputting signals (the first signal S1A, the second signal S2A, and the third signal S3A) corresponding to individual movements of the manipulation unit 10A.

[0032] Therefore, the input device 100A can provide various types of inputs.

[0033] The input device 100A comprises a sub-unit 30A, which is mechanically coupled to the manipulation unit 10A, as well as the manipulation unit 10A described above and the output unit 20A (see Fig. 1). Furthermore, the input device 100A comprises a housing 40A.

[0034] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the manipulation unit 10A includes the operation knob 11A and an encoder 12A, taking a rotating manipulation electronic part as an example. The operation knob 11A is a part used by a user to manually operate the input device 100A. The operation knob 11A is a rotating part rotatably coupled to the encoder 12A. Specifically, the operation knob 11A has a circular cylindrical shape with an open bottom. The encoder 12A is located between the operation knob 11A and the sub-unit 30A. In addition, the encoder 12A is mechanically coupled to the operation knob 11A. It should be noted that the encoder 12A is also mechanically coupled to the sub-unit 30A, as described below. Alternatively, the encoder 12A may be an absolute encoder or an incremental encoder.As a further alternative, the encoder 12A can be replaced by a variable resistor divided into rotating manipulation electronic parts that allow pressing like the encoder 12A.

[0035] The encoder 12A includes a coupling element (shaft) 121A, a first terminal 122A, and a second terminal 123A. The coupling element 121A is coupled to the control knob 11A. Furthermore, the coupling element 121A is coupled to the control knob 11A of the manipulation unit 10A, so that the coupling element 121A rotates in the rotational directions of the control knob 11A and moves toward the sub-unit 30A. In particular, the encoder 12A has a nearly circular cylindrical shape and includes the coupling element 121A at its first end and the first and second terminals 122A and 123A at its second end. The coupling element 121A can be rotated about the rotation axis P10 and pressed along the rotation axis P10. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4, the control knob 11A is coupled to the coupling element 121A. Therefore, the control knob 11A can be rotated about the rotation axis P10 and pressed along the rotation axis P10 together with the coupling element 121A.

[0036] The first terminal 122A outputs the first signal S1A according to the rotational directions of the coupling element 121A. In other words, the first signal S1A is a signal corresponding to a degree of rotation of the control knob 11A. For example, the first signal S1A has a signal level corresponding to the rotation of the control knob 11A. As an example, the first signal S1A is a signal indicating a rotation angle about the rotation axis P10 of the control knob 11A. The second terminal 123A outputs the second signal S2A according to the movement of the coupling element 121A toward the sub-unit 30A. In other words, the second signal S2A is a signal corresponding to a pressing of the control knob 11A. For example, the second signal S2A has a signal level corresponding to an amount of pressing of the control knob 11A.

[0037] The sensor 12A is on the surface (the upper surface in Fig. 4) of the first support plate 34A, whereby the first terminal 122A and the second terminal 123A of the encoder 12A are electrically connected to the first support plate 34A. In particular, the rotation axis P10 of the coupling element 121A of the encoder 12A coincides with (or is aligned with) an axis aligned along a thickness direction of the support plate 34A. In this case, the manipulation unit 10A is mounted on the surface (the upper surface in Fig. 4) of the first support plate 34A. Furthermore, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 35A is mounted on the first support plate 34A. The FPC 35A is provided to transmit an output of the encoder 12A to an outside of the input device 100A. The FPC 35A includes a first output part 21A and a second output part 22A.

[0038] The sub-unit 30A includes the second support plate 31A, a movable element 32A, and the detector 33A. The second support plate 31A may be a circuit board or a printed circuit board including, for example, electronic circuits.

[0039] The movable element 32A is mounted on the second support plate 31A to enable tilting of the movable element 32A. In addition, the movable element 32A supports the encoder 12A. In particular, the movable element 32A supports the first support plate 34A and thus the encoder 12A mounted on the first support plate 34A. The movable element 32A may have a pivot point positioned between a force point and a load point such that tilting in two opposite directions from its initial position is permitted, as in a seesaw. Alternatively, to enable the movable element 32A to move in one direction from a reference position by preventing movement in the opposite direction from its initial position, the movable element 32A may have the load point positioned between the force point and the pivot point, or have the force point positioned between the load point and the pivot point.Alternatively, the movable member 32A may comprise a plate, such as a flat plate, and protrusions below the plate so that the movable member 32A can tilt in, for example, four or eight directions. In this case, the protrusions may preferably have a protruding shape with an outwardly curved surface.

[0040] When the movable member 32A is shaped to move like a seesaw, it is preferable that an axis of a pivot point of a seesaw movement and the rotation axis P10 of the control knob 11A or the coupling member 121A do not intersect at right angles (or do not overlap). In other words, the axis of the pivot point of the seesaw movement and the rotation axis P10 are oblique to each other. This makes it possible to suppress impacts on the movable member 32A by pushing (moving along the rotation axis P10) the coupling member 121A. Alternatively, if the movable member 32A can move in one direction from its initial position, the encoder 12A can be positioned on a side opposite the pivot point from a rocking side. This allows the movable member 32A to move stably.

[0041] Specifically, the movable member 32A includes a pair of axes 321A, a projection 323A, and a support 324A. The movable member 32A has a rectangular plate shape. The two axes 321A extend in directions perpendicular to the rotation axis P10 of the control knob 11A. As shown in Fig. 1, the two axes 321A protrude from opposite sides in an axis line aligned along the width direction of the movable member 32A and have the same central axis. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the axes 321A are received in a portion of the control knob 11A that projects onto the second support plate 31A. The first support plate 34A is fixed to a first surface of the movable element 32A in an axis line aligned along a thickness direction of the movable element 32A. As shown in Fig. 1, the movable member 32A has on its first surface a recess 325A for receiving the first support plate 34A and a plurality of claws 326A for holding the first support plate 34A within the recess 325A. The projection 323A and the support 324A protrude from a second surface in an axis line aligned along a thickness direction of the movable member 32A. The projection 323A is located at one end (the left end in Fig. 4) in a longitudinal axis of the movable element 32A, and the carrier 324A is located at the other end (the right end in Fig. 4) in the longitudinal axis of the movable element 32A. The projection 323A serves to attach the elastic element 50A. The elastic element 50A serves as a return element configured to transmit the elastic force to the first support plate 34A to move the first support plate 34A from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position.

[0042] Specifically, the elastic member 50A is a coil spring, and the protrusion 323A is inserted into an inner surface of the elastic member 50A. The support 324A serves as a part supported on the second support plate 31A of the movable member 32A. A surface of the support 324A facing a center of the movable member 32A is a curved surface. Accordingly, the movable member 32A can swing on the second support plate 31A.

[0043] The detector 33A is positioned to be pressed by the movable member 32A. The detector 33A outputs the third signal S3A according to the movement in a tilting direction of the movable member 32A. Examples of the detector 33A may include a pressure switch, a membrane switch, and a pressure sensor. When the detector is pressed by the movable member 32A, the detector 33A detects the tilting of the movable member 32A. In the present embodiment, the detector 33A includes a manipulation part 331A. When the manipulation part 331A is pressed, the detector 33A outputs the third signal S3A.

[0044] In one example, the detector 33A may be located on the second support plate 31A and pushed by the movable member 32A when the movable member 32A moves downward. In another example, the detector 33A may be located on an upper portion 41A of the housing 40A described later and pushed by the movable member 32A when the movable member 32A moves upward.

[0045] The housing 40A includes the upper portion 41A and the column parts 42A, and is formed with through holes 431A that allow the insertion of the axes 321A of the movable element 32A. The upper portion 41A includes a recess 411A for receiving the control knob 11A. Each of the column parts 42A includes an upper end coupled to the upper portion 41A and a lower end coupled to the second support plate 31A, which serves as a bottom through a fastener 60A. In the present embodiment, the fasteners 60A are screws. In particular, a through hole 412A for passing the encoder 12A is formed in a bottom of the recess 411A (see Fig. 4). Furthermore, the housing 40A includes four column parts 42A, the four column parts 42A being located on a bottom surface of the upper portion 41A to surround the recess 411A. Each of the column parts 42A includes a screw hole 421A at its upper end. By inserting the fasteners 60A into the screw holes 421A of the column parts 42A via the through holes 311A ​​of the second support plate 31A, the housing 40A is attached to the second support plate 31A.

[0046] Furthermore, the housing 40A includes a pair of bearings 43A as a structure for supporting the movable member 32A to enable its pivoting. The pair of bearings 43A are provided on the underside of the upper portion 41A to be on opposite sides of the through-hole 412A. Each of the two bearings 43A includes the through-holes 431A. The pair of axes 321A of the movable member 32A are individually inserted into the through-holes 431A of the pair of bearings 43A, so that the movable member 32A can pivot relative to the housing 40A about the axis 321A. The first support plate 34A, where the manipulation unit 10A is mounted, is attached to the movable member 32A. Therefore, the housing 40A and the movable element 32A form the tilting mechanism 70A, which allows the first support plate 34A to rotate about the axis 321A between the first manipulation position (see Fig. 4) and the second manipulation position (see Fig. 7) relative to the second support plate 31A. The first manipulation position is a position where the rotation axis P10 of the coupling element 121A of the encoder 12A coincides with (or is aligned with) an axis line that is aligned, for example, along a thickness direction of the second support plate 31A. The second manipulation position is a position where the projection 323A of the movable element 32A is in contact with the second support plate 31A, for example. It should be noted that in the input device 100A, as shown in Fig. 4, the rotation axis P10 and the detector 33A are located on the opposite sides of the axis 321A, while the first support plate 34A is in the first manipulation position.

[0047] As described above, the input device 100A includes: the manipulation unit 10A (the operation knob 11A) configured to rotate, move along the rotation axis P10, and move along the axial direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10; and the output unit 20A configured to output the first signal S1A corresponding to the rotation direction of the manipulation unit 10A (the operation knob 11A), the second signal S2A corresponding to the movement of the manipulation unit 10A (the operation knob 11A) along the rotation axis P10, and the third signal S3A corresponding to the movement of the manipulation unit 10A (the operation knob 11A) in the axial direction.

[0048] The input device 100A further includes the sub-unit 30A, which is mechanically coupled to the manipulation unit 10A. The manipulation unit 10A includes the rotating part (control knob) 11A and the rotating electronic part (encoder) 12A, which is positioned between the rotating part 11A and the sub-unit 30A and is mechanically coupled to the rotating part 11A. The rotating electronic part (encoder) 12A includes: the coupling element 121A, which is coupled to the rotating part 11A and can rotate in rotational directions and move toward the sub-unit 30A; the first terminal 122A for outputting the first signal S1A according to the rotational directions of the coupling element 121A; and the second terminal 123A for outputting the second signal S2A corresponding to the movement of the coupling element 121A toward the sub-unit 30A.The sub-unit 30A includes: the second support plate 31A; the movable member 32A that can tilt on the second support plate 31A and holds the rotating manipulation electronic part (encoder) 12A; and the detector 33A that is arranged to be pressed by the movable member 32A and configured to output the third signal S3A corresponding to the movement in the tilting direction of the movable member 32A. The output unit 20A includes: the first output part 21A that is electrically connected to the first terminal 122A; the second output part 22A that is electrically connected to the second terminal 123A; and a third output part 23A that is electrically connected to a third terminal (detector) 33A.

[0049] The input device 100A is configured as described above and operates as follows. The operation of the input device 100A will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 7 described.

[0050] Fig. 4 shows a state (initial state) where no load is applied to the input device 100A. In this state, the first support plate 34A is in the first manipulation position relative to the second support plate 31A. When the control knob 11A is rotated in this state (around the rotation axis P10), the first signal S1A is output from the first terminal 122A of the encoder 12A, and then the first signal S1A is output via the first output part 21A (see Fig. 8).

[0051] Fig. Fig. 5 shows a state (pressed state) where a pressing force F11 is applied to the operation button 11A of the input device 100A in a top-down direction. In this state, by pressing the operation button 11A, the second signal S2A is output from the second terminal 123A of the transmitter 12A, and then the second signal S2A is output via the second output part 22A (see Fig. 8).

[0052] Fig. 6 shows a state (pushed state) where a larger pressing force F12, which is larger than the pressing force F11 in the pressed state, as in Fig. 5, is applied to the operation button 11A of the input device 100A in the top-down direction. In this state, the coupling member 121A of the encoder 12A is inserted into a body of the encoder 12A, and the operation button 11A is further inserted into the recess 411A of the upper portion 41A. By using such a mechanism, the encoder 12A serves as a cushion if the operation button 11A is strongly pressed. Therefore, it is possible to dampen the mechanical force exerted on a circuit board (the first base plate 34A) when the encoder 12A presses the circuit board (the first base plate 34A).

[0053] Fig. Fig. 7 shows a state (tilted state) where a force F13 is applied to the control knob 11A in one direction (left direction in Fig. 7) is applied perpendicular to the rotation axis P10 in the initial state. Accordingly, the movable element 32A (the first support plate 34A) pivots about the axis 321A and thus moves from the first manipulation position to the second manipulation position. In this state, the third signal S3A is output from the detector 33A, and the third signal S3A is then output via the third output part 23A. It should be noted that in Fig. 7, a pushed part of the movable member 32A moves downward, and therefore, the detector 33A is pushed downward by the movable member 32A. However, an opposite part of the movable member 32A moves upward from the pushed part, and thus, in an alternative case, the detector 33A can be pushed upward by the movable member 32A. In this state, when the tilting force is removed, the elastic member 50A returns the movable member 32A. Specifically, the movable member 32A (the first support plate 34A) returns from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position due to the elastic member 50A.

[0054] The input device 100A operates as described above. The input device 100A detects three actions of turning, pressing, and tilting the control knob 11A and outputs output signals (S1A, S2A, S3A) corresponding to the three actions, respectively. Therefore, various forms of input can be realized with one manipulation unit 10A. Electronic device of embodiment 1

[0055] In the following, the electronic device 1000A including the input device 100A of the embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Examples of the 1000A electronic device can be: Input devices such as remote controls; AV devices such as a recorder, television, video player; lighting devices such as overhead lights, indirect lights, and spotlights; devices such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and dryers; vehicles such as electric vehicles, gas-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and motorcycles; and vehicle electronic devices such as car navigation systems, vehicle audio systems, vehicle televisions, and vehicle air conditioning systems.

[0056] The electronic device 1000A includes a microcontroller (MCU) 200 electrically connected to the input device 100A. The MCU 200 includes a first input port 203, a second input port 202, and a third input port 201. The first output part 21A, the second output part 22A, and the third output part 23A are electrically connected to the first input port 203, the second input port 202, and the third input port 201, respectively. Furthermore, a path between the first output part 21A and the first input port 203, a path between the second output part 22A and the second input port 202, and a path between the third output part 23A and the third input port 201 are electrically independent of each other.

[0057] The MCU 200 determines which of the input terminals (the first to third input terminals 203, 202, and 201) receives an output signal (the first to third signals S1A, S2A, S3A) as input, and determines an amount of such input based on duration, voltage waveforms, or electrical pulses.

[0058] Furthermore, the MCU 200 is electrically connected to an object (load 300) that is to be adjusted or controlled in the aforementioned electronic device. Examples of the object can be display devices, motors, light sources, timers, and loudspeakers. The MCU 200 controls such objects via a control terminal 204.

[0059] The following describes an example in which the input device 100A of Embodiment 1 is electrically connected to a vehicle audio system, a vehicle air conditioner, a vehicle lamp, and a vehicle TV. An output destination can be switched among the vehicle audio system, the vehicle air conditioner, the vehicle lamp, and the vehicle TV by tilting. The output destination can be switched to the vehicle audio system in response to a left tilt (i.e., tilting left). The output destination can be switched to the vehicle air conditioner in response to a right tilt (i.e., tilting right). The output destination can be switched to the vehicle lamp in response to a forward tilt (i.e., tilting forward). The output destination can be switched to the vehicle TV in response to a backward tilt (i.e., tilting backward).Alternatively, the destination of an output can be switched with each left tilt movement.

[0060] If tilting is not continued for a specified period of time, the tilt can optionally be ignored. In this case, if a press or turn occurs within a specified period of time after tilting, it can be treated as an input. Therefore, a user does not need to remember the previous action. If the current target of an output is displayed on a monitor or the like, it is unnecessary for the user to check this with each input.

[0061] Alternatively, the manipulation unit 10A (the operation button 11A) may be transparent, and a light source such as a light-emitting diode, a liquid crystal display, or an organic electroluminescent element may be placed in the input device 100A to display color information to indicate the destination of an output.

[0062] For example, various parameters such as volume, temperatures, air flow, brightness, and color temperature can be adjusted by turning the knob. In conjunction with the turning, the color of the manipulation unit 10A (the control knob 11A) can be changed. For example, the color of the air conditioner can become redder (warm color) as the temperature increases, and bluer (cold color) as the temperature decreases. For example, the color can change from white to black or green as the speaker volume increases.

[0063] For example, a decision can be made upon pressing. If the button is not pressed within a specified time period, the MCU 200 can determine that the operation is aborted and then return to the initial state.

[0064] As described above, since the electronic device 1000A includes the input device 100A of Embodiment 1, it can enable various forms of input using a manipulation unit 10A. This can lead to an improvement in design and manageability. Embodiment 2Input device of Embodiment 2

[0065] Hereinafter, an input device 100B of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9 to Fig. 16. It should be noted that each of the Fig. 12 to Fig. 15 illustrates the input device 100B with its forward and reverse directions corresponding to an upward and downward direction shown in the illustration. However, there is no intention to limit the use of the input device 100B.

[0066] Fig. 12 shows the input device 100B, which comprises a manipulation unit 10B, a body (housing) 40B and the detector 33B. The manipulation unit 10B comprises an operating button (rotating part) 11B, enables the rotating of the operating button 11B about a rotation axis P10 and the pressing of the operating button 11B along the rotation axis P10 and is designed to generate a first signal S1B (see Fig. 16) according to the rotation of the control knob 11B and a second signal S2B (see Fig. 16) according to the pressing of the control button 11B. The body 40B holds the manipulation unit 10B so that it can move from a first manipulation position (see Fig. 12) into a second manipulation position (see Fig. 15) along a direction of pressing the control button 11B. The detector 33B is designed to detect a third signal S3B (see Fig. 16) when the manipulation unit 10B is in the second manipulation position.

[0067] According to the input device 100B, rotating the control knob 11B causes the manipulation unit 10B to output the first signal S1B. Pressing the control knob 11B causes the manipulation unit 10B to output the second signal S2B. Further pressing of the control knob 11B moves the manipulation unit 10B from the first manipulation position to the second manipulation position, causing the detector 33B to output the third signal S3B. In summary, the input device 100B recognizes three actions, which are a rotation of the operation knob 11B, a first-stage press (ie, press to a first stage) (exerting a continuous physical force) of the operation knob 11B, and a second-stage press (ie, press to a second stage) (exerting a continuous physical force) of the operation knob 11B, and then outputs output signals (the first to third signals S1B to S3B) corresponding to the actions, respectively.Thus, various types of inputs can be realized with a manipulation unit 10B. This enables the input device 100B to control multiple electronic devices.

[0068] The present embodiment is similar to Embodiment 1 in that the detector 33B is located below the movable member 32B, but differs in the movement directions of the movable member 32B. Specifically, Embodiment 1 outputs the third signal S3A in response to the tilting of the movable member 32A, while Embodiment 2 outputs the third signal S3B in response to a stronger pressing of the operation button 11B.

[0069] In other words, the present embodiment is a modification of Embodiment 1 to realize various forms of inputs by rotating, first-stage pressing, and second-stage pressing of the manipulation unit 10B (the operation knob 11B).

[0070] The movable element 32B is supported by four elastic elements 50B, with the detector 33B located at a position facing a central part of the movable element 32B. It should be noted that when the detector 33B is placed on a line connecting two elastic elements 50B, the number of elastic elements 50B may be two. When the elastic element 50B is a coil spring, the detector 33B may be placed inside the coil spring. When the detector 33B is a push button switch with an elastically movable contact, the elastic elements 50B may be omitted. It should be noted that when using a plurality of elastic elements 50B, the elastic coefficients and spring constants thereof may preferably fall within ranges to such an extent that the movable element 32B can be balanced. This can maintain the motion balance of the movable element 32B.

[0071] In order to move the movable member 32B in the upward and downward direction, the housing 40B is formed to include guides 44B, wherein the movable member 32B is formed to include through holes 322B that allow the insertion of the guides 44B.

[0072] Detailed descriptions will be given below regarding the input device 100B.

[0073] The input device 100B comprises the manipulation unit 10B (see Fig. 11) and an output unit 20B (see Fig. 16). The manipulation unit 10B (the control knob 11B) is designed to rotate and move along the rotation axis P10.

[0074] The output unit 20B outputs the first signal S1B in response to a rotation of the manipulation unit 10B, which corresponds to the direction of rotation of the manipulation unit 10B. Furthermore, the output unit 20B outputs the second signal S2B in response to a movement of the manipulation unit 10B along the rotation axis P10. In addition, the output unit 20B outputs the third signal S3B in response to an additional movement of the manipulation unit 10B along the rotation axis P10. In particular, the output unit 20B comprises, as shown in Fig. 16, a first output part S1B for outputting the first signal S1B, a second output part 22B for outputting the second signal S2B and a third output part 23B for outputting the third signal S3B.

[0075] As described above, the input device 100B includes: the manipulation unit 10B (the operation knob 11B) configured to rotate and move between a first position and a second position along the rotation axis P10; the first output part 21B for outputting the first signal S1B according to the rotation directions of the manipulation unit 10B; the second output part 22B for outputting the second signal S2B according to the first position; and the third output part 23B for outputting the third signal S3B according to the second position. In this context, the first position is a position to which the operation knob 11B is moved by pressing from its initial position. The second position is a position to which the operation knob 11B is moved by pressing from the first position.

[0076] The input device 100B comprises, in addition to the manipulation unit 10B and the output unit 20B described above (see Fig. 9), a sub-unit 30B, which is mechanically coupled to the manipulation unit 10B. Furthermore, the input device 100B includes the housing 40B.

[0077] The manipulation unit 10B includes the operation knob 11B and a transmitter 12B. The operation knob 11B and the transmitter 12B are identical to the operation knob 11A and the transmitter 12A of Embodiment 1. The transmitter 12B includes a coupling element (shaft) 121B, a first terminal 122B, and a second terminal 123B. The coupling element 121B is coupled to the operation knob 11B. Furthermore, the coupling element 121B cooperates with the operation knob 11B of the manipulation unit 10B such that the coupling element 121B rotates in the rotational directions of the operation knob 11B and moves toward the sub-unit 30B. Therefore, the operation knob 11B can be rotated about the rotation axis P10 and pressed together with the coupling element 121B along the rotation axis P10.

[0078] The first terminal 122B outputs the first signal S1B according to the rotation directions of the coupling element 121B. As an example, the first signal S1B is a signal indicating a rotation angle about the rotation axis P10 of the control knob 11B. The second terminal 123B outputs the second signal S2B according to the movement of the coupling element 121B toward the sub-unit 30B.

[0079] The sensor 12B is mounted on a surface (the upper surface in Fig. 12,) of a first support plate 34B, and thereby the first terminal 122B and the second terminal 123B of the encoder 12B are electrically connected to the first support plate 34B. In particular, the rotation axis P10 of the coupling element 121B of the encoder 12B coincides with (or is aligned with) an axis aligned along a thickness direction of the first support plate 34B. In this case, the manipulation unit 10B is mounted on the surface (the upper surface in Fig. 12) of the first support plate 34B. Furthermore, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 35B is mounted on the first support plate 34B. The FPC 35B is provided to transmit the output of the encoder 12B to an outside of the input device 100B. The FPC 35B includes the first output part 21B and the second output part 22B.

[0080] The sub-unit 30B includes a second support plate 31B, the movable element 32B, and the detector 33B. The second support plate 31B may be a circuit board or a printed circuit board, for example, including electronic circuits.

[0081] The movable member 32B is provided to move along the rotation axis P10 with respect to the second support plate 31B. In addition, the movable member 32B holds the encoder 12B. In particular, the movable member 32B holds the first support plate 34B and thus the encoder 12B mounted on the first support plate 34B. The movable member 32B has a rectangular plate shape. The first support plate 34B is fixed to a first surface of the movable member 32B along an axis line aligned along a thickness direction of the movable member 32B. In particular, the movable member 32B has, on its first surface, a recess 325B for receiving the first support plate 34B and a plurality of claws 326B for holding the first support plate 34B within the recess 325B.Furthermore, the movable member 32B includes through holes 322B at its four corners for fixing the movable member 32B to the housing 40B, so that the movable member 32B is movable along the rotation axis P10. In addition, the movable member 32B has its second surface along an axis aligned along a thickness direction of a stopper pair 327B (see ). Fig. 10). The stop element pair 327B is positioned on opposite sides in a longitudinal axis of the movable element 32B with respect to a center of the second surface of the movable element 32B.

[0082] The detector 33B is positioned to be pressed by the movable element 32B. The detector 33B outputs the third signal S3B according to the movement of the movable element 32B along the rotation axis P10. Examples of the detector 33B may include a pressure switch, a membrane switch, and a pressure sensor. When pressed by the movable element 32B, the detector 33B detects the pressing of the movable element 32B. In the present embodiment, the detector 33B includes a manipulation part 331B. When the manipulation part 331B is pressed, the detector 33B outputs the third signal S3B. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 12, the detector 33B is located on the second support plate 31B. Specifically, the detector 33B is mounted on the second support plate 31B to be positioned on the rotation axis P10.

[0083] The housing 40B includes an upper portion 41B and column parts 42B. The upper portion 41B includes a recess 411B for receiving the control knob 11B. Each of the column parts 42B includes an upper end coupled to the upper portion 41B and a lower end coupled to the second support plate 31B, which serves as a bottom through a fastener 60B. In the present embodiment, the fasteners 60B are screws. In particular, a through hole 412B for passing the encoder 12B is formed in a bottom of the recess 411B (see Fig. 12). Furthermore, the housing 40B includes four column parts 42B, the four column parts 42B being located on a bottom surface of the upper portion 41B to surround the recess 411B. Each of the column parts 42B includes a screw hole 421B at its upper end. By inserting the fasteners 60B into the screw holes 421B of the column parts 42B via the through holes 311B of the second support plate 31B, the housing 40B is fixed to the second support plate 31B.

[0084] Furthermore, the housing 40B comprises a plurality of (four in the example shown) guides 44B as a structure for supporting the movable element 32B to allow it to move in one direction (in Fig. 12 up and down) along the rotation axis P10. The plurality of guides 44B are provided on the bottom surface of the upper portion 41B to surround the recess 411B. Each of the guides 44B includes a base 441B having a columnar shape projecting from the bottom surface of the upper portion 41B, and a leg 442B projecting from an upper end of the base 441B. The leg 442B is sized to pass through the through-hole 322B of the movable member 32B. In contrast, the base 441B is sized so that it does not pass through the through-hole 322B. In addition, the legs 442B are longer than the through-holes 322B. Furthermore, the legs 442B are formed such that their axial directions are parallel to the rotation axis P10.

[0085] The movable member 32B is fixed to the housing 40B by inserting the feet 442B of the guides 44B into the through holes 322B. Therefore, the movable member 32B is movable along the axial directions of the feet 442B of the guides 44B, which correspond to the rotation axis P10. Furthermore, the housing 40B is fixed to the second support plate 31B. In this connection, the plurality of elastic members 50B are arranged between the movable member 32B and the second support plate 31B. Specifically, the elastic members 50B are connected to parts of the feet 442B of the guides 44B that protrude outward from the through holes 322B of the movable member 32B. It should be noted that, as shown in Fig. 12, the foot 442B of each of the guides 44B is in contact with the second support plate 31B, while the housing 40B is fixed to the second support plate 31B.

[0086] As described above, the housing (body) 40B holds the movable member 32B to move it in the direction (in Fig. 12 up and down) along the rotation axis P10. The movable member 32B supports the manipulation unit 10B, wherein the pressing direction of the operation button 11B of the manipulation unit 10B corresponds to a direction along the rotation axis P10. Accordingly, the housing 40B supports the manipulation unit 10B so that it can move from the first manipulation position to the second manipulation position along the direction of pressing the operation button 11B. The first manipulation position is a position in which the movable member 32B is closer to the housing 40B than in the second manipulation position. As described above, the plurality of elastic members 50B are arranged between the movable member 32B and the second support plate 31B.These elastic members 50B each serve as a return member configured to transmit elastic force to the manipulation unit 10B to move the manipulation unit 10B from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position. In this regard, the sockets 441B of the guides 44B are larger than the through holes 322B of the movable member 32B, so that the movable member 32B is positioned by the sockets 441B. Accordingly, the movable member 32B is in contact with the sockets 441B of the guides 44B in the first manipulation position (see FIG. Fig. 12). Furthermore, in the second manipulation position, the stop element pair 327B of the movable element 32B is in contact with the surface of the second support plate 31B facing the first support plate 34B (see Fig. 15).

[0087] The input device 100B is designed as described above and operates as follows. The operation of the input device 100B is described with respect to Fig. 12 to Fig. 15 described.

[0088] Fig. Fig. 12 shows a state (initial state) where no load is applied to the input device 100B. In this state, the manipulation unit 10B is in the first manipulation position. In the state of Fig. 12, it is assumed that a user rotates the operation knob 11B. The operation knob 11B is fixed to the coupling member (shaft) 121B of the encoder 12B, and the encoder 12B operates in response to the rotation of the operation knob 11B. Accordingly, the output of the encoder 12B (ie, the first signal S1B from the first terminal 122B) is output to an outside of the input device 100B through the FPC 35B (the first output part 21B) fixed to the first support plate 34B where the encoder 12B is mounted.

[0089] If a user presses the control button 11B in the state of Fig. 12 is pressed down, the operating button 11B is moved downwards, whereby the coupling element (axis) 121B of the sensor 12B is also pressed down accordingly. Fig. Fig. 13 shows a state where a pressing force F21 is applied to the operation button 11B of the input device 100B in a top-down direction. The encoder 12B includes a switch with a state that is switched according to the downward movement of the coupling element (shaft) 121B. In the Fig. In the state shown in Figure 13, the switch integrated in the encoder 12B has been set to an on state by downward movement of the operation knob 11B. It is possible to determine whether the state of the switch integrated in the encoder 12B is on through the FPC 35B attached to the first support plate 34B. Accordingly, the output of the encoder 12B (ie, the second signal S2B of the second terminal 123B) is output to an outside of the input device 100B via the FPC 35B (the second output part 22B).

[0090] Subsequently, a user presses the control button 11B further, and accordingly, the force pushing the control button 11B downward exceeds the spring force of the elastic elements 50B. Thus, the movable member 32B supporting the first support plate 34B moves downward as a whole while compressing the elastic elements 50B and maintaining a nearly horizontal state. It should be noted that the switch integrated in the encoder 12B remains on.

[0091] The movable element 32B moves downwards as a whole, and finally, as shown in Fig. 14, the bottom of the movable element 32B is in contact with the manipulation part 331B of the detector 33B located on the second support plate 31B. When the movable element 32B is further pressed down, the movable element 32B presses the manipulation part 331B of the detector 33B, as shown in Fig. 15. It should be noted that Fig. 14 illustrates a state where the pressing force F22 is applied from top to bottom to the operation button 11B of the input device 100B and the pressing force F22 is greater than that shown in Fig. 13 shown pressing force F21. Fig. 15 shows a state where the pressing force F23 is applied from top to bottom to the operation button 11B of the input device 100B and the pressing force F23 is larger than that shown in Fig. 14 shown pressing force F22.

[0092] Accordingly, it is possible to obtain a signal (the third signal S3B) from the detector 33B. The detector 33B is a detection switch. The detection switch is a switch that is switched upon receiving a force greater than the force required to switch the switch integrated in the encoder 12B. The output (the third signal S3B) from the detection switch can be obtained via the second support plate 31B. It should be noted that the movable member 32B is arranged to press the detection switch at its bottom. To prevent excessive pressing of the manipulation part 331B of the detection switch, the stopper elements 327B (see Fig. 10). The stopper elements 327B come into contact with the second support plate 31B when the movable member 32B moves downward by a predetermined distance. In a state where the stopper elements 327B are in contact with the second support plate 31B and the downward movement of the movable member 32B is stopped (a state where the manipulation unit 10B reaches the second manipulation position), the detection switch has already been turned on. In addition, a predetermined part of the operation knob 11B is housed in the recess 411B.

[0093] When the pressing force (pressing force F21, F22, F23) is removed, the movable element 32B is pressed to its original position (the first manipulation position) by the restoring force provided by the elastic elements 50B, whereby the switch integrated in the transmitter 12B resets itself. Accordingly, the control knob 11B is returned to its original height position.

[0094] Accordingly, various inputs except rotation can be realized due to the change of the pressing force. Electronic device of embodiment 2

[0095] In the following, the electronic device 1000B including the input device 100B of the embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 16. It should be noted that the types of electronic device 1000B can be identical to those of electronic device 1000A.

[0096] The electronic device 1000B includes a microcontroller (MCU) 200 electrically connected to the input device 100B. The MCU 200 includes a first input terminal 203, a second input terminal 202, and a third input terminal 201, such as in Embodiment 1. The first output part 21B, the second output part 22B, and the third output part 23B are electrically connected to the first input terminal 203, the second input terminal 202, and the third input terminal 201, respectively. Furthermore, at least a path between the first output part 21B and the first input terminal 203, a path between the second output part 22B and the second input terminal 202, and a path between the third output part 23B and the third input terminal 201 are electrically independent of each other.

[0097] The MCU 200 determines which of the input terminals (the first to third input terminals 203, 202, and 201) receives an output signal (the first to third signals S1B, S2B, S3B) as input, and determines an amount of such input based on duration, voltage waveforms, or electrical pulses.

[0098] Furthermore, the MCU 200 is electrically connected to an object (load 300) that is to be adjusted or controlled in the aforementioned electronic device. Examples of the object can be display devices, motors, light sources, timers, and loudspeakers. The MCU 200 controls such objects via a control terminal 204.

[0099] As described above, since the electronic device 1000B includes the input device 100B of Embodiment 2, it can enable various forms of input using one manipulation unit 10B. This can lead to improvements in design and manageability.

[0100] It should be noted that the MCU 200 of the electronic device 1000B including the input device 100B of Embodiment 2 may preferably be configured to determine a cessation of an amount of the output (the third signal S3B) of the detector 33B and the output (the second signal S2B) of the transmitter 12B when the pressing force is removed. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress erroneous operations. One example of such erroneous operations is that the electronic device 1000B only acknowledges the second signal (detection signal) S2B even when the third signal (detection signal) S3B is output in addition to the second signal S2B.

[0101] In one example, if a loss of only the second signal S2B is confirmed, the MCU 200 determines that an action to output the second signal S2B has been performed. In another example, if the loss of the third signal S3B is confirmed after the loss of the second signal S2B, the MCU 200 determines that an action to output the third signal S3B has been performed. In another example, if the loss of the second signal S2B is confirmed after the loss of the third signal S3B, the MCU 200 determines that an action to output the third signal S3B has been performed. Embodiment 3Input device of Embodiment 3

[0102] Hereinafter, an input device 100C of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 17 to Fig. 24. It should be noted that each of the Fig. 20 to Fig. 23 illustrates the input device 100C with its forward and reverse directions corresponding to an upward and downward direction shown in the illustration. However, there is no intention to limit the use of the input device 100C.

[0103] Fig. 20 shows the input device 100C, which comprises a manipulation unit 10C, a body (housing) 40C and a detector 33C. The manipulation unit 10C comprises an operating button (rotating part) 11C, enables the rotating of the operating button 11C about a rotation axis P10 and the pressing of the operating button 11C along the rotation axis P10 and is designed to generate a first signal S1C (see Fig. 24) according to the rotation of the control knob 11C and a second signal S2C (see Fig. 24) according to the pressing of the control button 11C. The body 40C holds the manipulation unit 10C so that it can move from a first manipulation position (see Fig. 20) into a second manipulation position (see Fig. 23) along an opposite direction from a direction of pressing the control button 11C. The detector 33C is designed to generate a third signal S3C (see Fig. 24) when the manipulation unit 10C is in the second manipulation position.

[0104] According to the input device 100C, turning the control knob 11C causes the manipulation unit 10C to output the first signal S1C. Pressing the control knob 11C causes the manipulation unit 10C to output the second signal S2C. Further pulling the control knob 11C moves the manipulation unit 10C from the first manipulation position to the second manipulation position, causing the detector 33C to output the third signal S3C. In summary, the input device 100C detects three actions: turning, pushing, and pulling the control knob 11C, and then outputs output signals (the first to third signals S1C to S3C) corresponding to the actions. Thus, various types of inputs can be realized with one manipulation unit 10C. This enables the input device 100C to control multiple electronic devices.

[0105] The present embodiment is similar to Embodiment 2 in terms of moving directions of a movable member 32C, but differs from Embodiment 2 in that a moving direction of the movable member 32C that causes the output of the third signal S3C is an upward direction in the present embodiment, as opposed to a downward direction in Embodiment 2. Accordingly, the detector 33C is mounted on the movable member 32C, and movement of the movable member 32C causes the detector 33C to be sandwiched between the movable member 32C and an upper portion 41C of a housing 40C, thereby pushing the detector 33C.

[0106] Specifically, when the operation knob 11C of the manipulation unit 10C is pulled upward, the movable member 32C is arranged to move upward together with the operation knob 11C. Therefore, in the present embodiment, there are elastic members 50C above the movable member 32C. The elastic members 50C are arranged to be compressed between the upper portion 41C of the housing 40C and the movable member 32C when the movable member 32C is pulled upward. Furthermore, the upper portion of the operation knob 11C, which serves as a rotating device (rotating part), is formed in a flange-like shape, which facilitates the pulling up of the operation knob 11C.

[0107] The input device 100C will now be described in more detail.

[0108] The input device 100C comprises the manipulation unit 10C (see Fig. 19) and an output unit 20C (see Fig. 24). The manipulation unit 10C (the control knob 11C) is designed to rotate and move along the rotation axis P10.

[0109] The output unit 20C outputs the first signal S1C corresponding to the rotation directions of the manipulation unit 10C in response to a rotation of the manipulation unit 10C. Furthermore, the output unit 20C outputs the second signal S2C in response to a movement of the manipulation unit 10C in a pushing direction (the downward direction in Fig. 20) along the rotation axis P10. In addition, the output unit 20C outputs the third signal S3C in response to a movement of the manipulation unit 10C in an opposite direction (the upward direction in Fig. 20) of the pressing direction along the rotation axis P10. In particular, the output unit 20C comprises, as shown in Fig. 24, a first output part 21C for outputting the first signal S1C, a second output part 22C for outputting the second signal S2C and a third output part 23C for outputting the third signal S3C.

[0110] As described above, the input device 100C includes: the manipulation unit 10C (the operation knob 11C) configured to rotate and move between a first position and a second position along the rotation axis P10; the first output part 21C for outputting the first signal S1C according to the rotation directions of the manipulation unit 10C; the second output part 22C for outputting the second signal S2C according to the first position; and the third output part 23C for outputting the third signal S3C according to the second position. In this context, the first position is a position to which the operation knob 11C is moved by pushing from its initial position. The second position is a position to which the operation knob 11C is moved by pulling from the first position.

[0111] The input device 100C comprises a sub-unit 30C, which is mechanically coupled to the manipulation unit 10C, as well as the manipulation unit 10C described above and the output unit 20C (see Fig. 17). Furthermore, the input device 100C comprises the housing 40C.

[0112] The manipulation unit 10C includes the operation knob 11C and a transmitter 12C. The operation knob 11C is similar to the operation knob 11B of Embodiment 2, but includes a flange-like circumferential thickening 111C. The circumferential thickening 111C protrudes outward from a front end of a circumferential surface of the operation knob 11C. The circumferential thickening 111C is provided to facilitate the pulling of the operation knob 11C by a user. The transmitter 12C is identical to the transmitter 12B of Embodiment 2. The transmitter 12C includes a coupling element (shaft) 121C, a first terminal 122C, and a second terminal 123C. The coupling element 121C is coupled to the operation knob 11C. Furthermore, the coupling element 121C is firmly engaged with the operating knob 11C of the manipulation unit 10C, so that the coupling element 121C rotates in the rotational directions of the operating knob 11C and moves toward the lower unit 30C.Therefore, the control knob 11C can be rotated about the rotation axis P10 and pressed along the rotation axis P10 together with the coupling element 121C.

[0113] The first terminal 122C outputs the first signal S1C according to the rotation directions of the coupling element 121C. As an example, the first signal S1C is a signal indicating a rotation angle about the rotation axis P10 of the control knob 11C. The second terminal 123C outputs the second signal S2C according to the movement of the coupling element 121C toward the sub-unit 30C.

[0114] The encoder 12C is mounted on a surface (the upper surface in F 20) of a first support plate 34C, whereby the first terminal 122C and the second terminal 123C of the encoder 12C are electrically connected to the first support plate 34C. In particular, the rotation axis P10 of the coupling element 121C of the encoder 12C coincides with (or is aligned with) an axis aligned along a thickness direction of the first support plate 34C. Here, the manipulation unit 10C is mounted on the surface (the upper surface in Fig. 20) of the first support plate 34C. Furthermore, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 35C is mounted on the first support plate 34C. The FPC 35C is provided to transmit the output of the encoder 12C to an outside of the input device 100C. The FPC 35C includes the first output part 21C and the second output part 22C.

[0115] The sub-unit 30C includes a second support plate 31C, the movable element 32C, and the detector 33C. The second support plate 31C may be a circuit board or a printed circuit board, for example, including electronic circuits.

[0116] The movable member 32C is provided to move along the rotation axis P10 with respect to the second support plate 31C. In addition, the movable member 32C holds the encoder 12C. In particular, the movable member 32C holds the first support plate 34C and thus the encoder 12C mounted on the first support plate 34C. The movable member 32C has a rectangular plate shape. The first support plate 34C is fixed to a first surface of the movable member 32C along an axis line aligned along a thickness direction of the movable member 32C. In particular, the movable member 32C has, on its first surface, a recess 325C for receiving the first support plate 34C and a plurality of claws 326C for holding the first support plate 34C within the recess 325C.Furthermore, the movable member 32C includes at its four corners the through holes 322C for fixing the movable member 32C to the housing 40C so that the movable member 32C is movable along the rotation axis P10.

[0117] The detector 33C is positioned to be pressed by the housing 40C. The detector 33C outputs the third signal S3C according to the movement of the movable element 32C along the rotation axis P10. Examples of the detector 33C may include a pressure switch, a membrane switch, and a pressure sensor. When the detector 33C is pressed by the housing 40C, the detector detects a pressing of the housing 40C. In the present embodiment, the detector 33C includes a manipulation part 331C. When the manipulation part 331C is pressed, the detector 33C outputs the third signal S3C. As shown in Fig. 20, the detector 33C is located on the first carrier plate 34C.

[0118] The housing 40C includes an upper portion 41C and the column parts 42C. The upper portion 41C includes a recess 411C for receiving the control knob 11C. Each of the column parts 42C includes an upper end coupled to the upper portion 41C and a lower end coupled to the second support plate 31C, which serves as a bottom through a fastener 60C. In the present embodiment, the fasteners 60C are screws. In particular, a through hole 412C is formed in a bottom of the recess 411C for the encoder 12C to pass through (see Fig. 20). Furthermore, the housing 40C includes four column parts 42C, the four column parts 42C being located on a bottom surface of the upper portion 41C to surround the recess 411C. Each of the column parts 42C includes a screw hole 421C at its upper end. By inserting the fasteners 60C into the screw holes 421C of the column parts 42C via the through holes 311C of the second support plate 31C, the housing 40C is attached to the second support plate 31C.

[0119] Furthermore, the housing 40C comprises a plurality of (four in the example shown) guides 44C as a structure for supporting the movable element 32C so that it can move in one direction (in Fig. 20 up and down) along the rotation axis P10. The plurality of guides 44C are provided on the underside of the upper portion 41C to surround the recess 411C. Each of the guides 44C includes a base 441C having a columnar shape projecting from the underside of the upper portion 41C, and a leg 442C projecting from an upper end of the base 441C. The leg 442C is sized to pass through the through-hole 322C of the movable member 32C. In contrast, the base 441C is sized so that it does not pass through the through-hole 322C. In addition, the legs 442C are longer than the through-holes 322C. Furthermore, the legs 442C are formed so that their axial directions are parallel to the rotation axis P10.

[0120] The movable member 32C is fixed to the housing 40C by inserting the feet 442C of the guides 44C into the through holes 322C. Therefore, the movable member 32C is movable along the axial directions of the feet 442C of the guides 44C, which correspond to the rotation axis P10. Furthermore, the housing 40C is fixed to the second support plate 31C. In this connection, the plurality of elastic members 50C are arranged between the movable member 32C and the housing 40C. Specifically, the elastic members 50C are engaged with the feet 442C of the guides 44C and positioned between the bases 441C and the movable member 32C. It should be noted that, as shown in Fig. 20, the foot 442C of each of the guides 44C is in contact with the second support plate 31C, while the housing 40C is fixed to the second support plate 31C.

[0121] In addition, the housing 40C includes a pressing part 45C and a stopper element 46C. The pressing part 45C is positioned on the underside of the upper portion 41C to oppose the manipulating part 331C of the detector 33C. A timing when the manipulating part 331C of the detector 33C is pressed due to the movement of the movable member 32C can be adjusted by adjusting a length of the pressing part 45C from the upper portion 41C. In order to prevent excessive pressing of the manipulating part 331C of the detector 33C, the stopper element 46C comes into contact with the first support plate 34C when the first support plate 34C moves upward by a predetermined distance (see Fig. 23).

[0122] As described above, the housing (body) 40C holds the movable member 32C to move it in the direction (in Fig. 20 up and down) along the rotation axis P10. The movable member 32C supports the manipulation unit 10C, wherein the direction of pressing the operation button 11C of the manipulation unit 10C corresponds to a direction along the rotation axis P10. Accordingly, the housing 40C supports the manipulation unit 10C so that it can move from the first manipulation position to the second manipulation position, in the opposite direction to the direction of pressing the operation button 11C. The first manipulation position is a position in which the movable member 32C is farther away from the housing 40C than in the second manipulation position. As described above, the plurality of elastic members 50C are arranged between the movable member 32C and the housing 40C.These elastic elements 50C each serve as a return element configured to transmit the elastic force to the manipulation unit 10C to move the manipulation unit 10C from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position. In this context, the second support plate 31C is fixed to the housing 40C, and the movable element 32C is positioned by the second support plate 31C. Accordingly, the movable element 32C is in contact with the second support plate 31C in the first manipulation position (see FIG. Fig. 20). Furthermore, the stop element 46C of the housing 40C is in contact with the surface of the first carrier plate 34C facing the housing 40C in the second manipulation position (see Fig. 23).

[0123] The input device 100C is designed as described above and operates as follows. The operation of the input device 100C will now be described with reference to Fig. 20 to Fig. 23 described.

[0124] Fig. Fig. 20 shows a state (initial state) where no load is applied to the input device 100C. In this state, the manipulation unit 10C is in the first manipulation position. When the operation knob 11C is rotated in this state, the first signal S1C is output from the first terminal 122C of the encoder 12C, and the first signal S1C is then output via the first output part 21C (see Fig. 24).

[0125] Fig. Fig. 21 shows a state (pressed state) where a pressing force F31 is applied to the operation button 11C of the input device 100C in a top-down direction. In this state, the second signal S2C is output from the second terminal 123C of the transmitter 12C, and then the second signal S2C is output via the second output part 22C (see Fig. 24).

[0126] Fig. 22 represents a state (deeply pressed state) where a larger pressing force F32 is applied to the operating button 11C in the pressed state according to Fig. 21 from top to bottom. In this state, the coupling element 121C of the encoder 12C is inserted into a body of the encoder 12C, with the operation knob 11C further inserted into the recess 411C of the upper portion 41C. By using such a mechanism, the encoder 12C serves as a cushion if the operation knob 11C is strongly pressed. Therefore, it is possible to dampen the mechanical force exerted on a circuit board (the first support board 34C) when the encoder 12C presses the circuit board (the first support board 34C).

[0127] Fig. Figure 23 shows a state (pulled state) where the control knob 11C, which serves as a rotary part (rotating part), is pulled upward in the initial state. In other words, Fig. 23 shows a state (pulled state) where, in the initial state, the force F33 is applied from bottom to top to the operation knob 11C. Accordingly, the movable member 32C (the manipulation unit 10C) is moved from the first manipulation position to the second manipulation position along the rotation axis P10. In this state, the third signal S3C is output from the detector 33C, and then the third signal S3C is output via the third output part 23C. In this state, when the pulling force F33 is removed, the elastic elements 50C return the movable member 32C to the initial state, so that the output of the third signal S3C is stopped. Specifically, by the elastic elements 50C, the movable member 32C (the manipulation unit 10C) returns from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position.

[0128] The input device 100C configured as described above detects three actions of turning, pushing, and pulling the control knob 11C and outputs output signals (S1C, S2C, S3C) corresponding to the three actions, respectively. Therefore, various forms of input can be realized with one manipulation unit 10C. Electronic device of embodiment 3

[0129] In the following, the electronic device 1000C including the input device 100C of the embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 24. It should be noted that types of the 1000C electronic device can be identical to those of the 1000A electronic device.

[0130] The electronic device 1000C includes a microcontroller (MCU) 200 electrically connected to the input device 100C. The MCU 200 includes a first input terminal 203, a second input terminal 202, and a third input terminal 201, such as in Embodiment 1. The first output part 21C, the second output part 22C, and the third output part 23C are electrically connected to the first input terminal 203, the second input terminal 202, and the third input terminal 201, respectively. Furthermore, at least a path between the first output part 21C and the first input terminal 203, a path between the second output part 22C and the second input terminal 202, and a path between the third output part 23C and the third input terminal 201 are electrically independent of each other.

[0131] The MCU 200 determines which of the input terminals (the first to third input terminals 203, 202, and 201) receives an output signal (the first to third signals S1C, S2C, S3C) as input, and determines an amount of such input based on duration, voltage waveforms, or electrical pulses.

[0132] Furthermore, the MCU 200 is electrically connected to an object (load 300) for setting or controlling the aforementioned electronic device. Examples of the object can be display devices, motors, light sources, timers, and loudspeakers. The MCU 200 controls such objects via a control terminal 204.

[0133] As described above, since the electronic device 1000C includes the input device 100C of Embodiment 3, it can enable various forms of input using a manipulation unit 10C. This can lead to an improvement in design and manageability. Embodiment 4Input device of Embodiment 4

[0134] In the following, an input device 100D according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the Fig. 25 to 31. The Fig. Figures 27 to 30 illustrate the input device 100D in a front-to-back direction, corresponding to an up-down direction. However, this is not intended to limit the use of the input device 100D.

[0135] Fig. 27 illustrates the input device 100D, which includes a manipulation unit 10D, a support plate 34D, a body (housing) 40D, a tilting mechanism 70D, and a detector 33D. The manipulation unit 10D may include an operating button (rotating part) 11D, wherein the manipulation unit 10D may enable the operating button 11D to rotate about a rotation axis P10 and to press the operating button 11D along the rotation axis P10. The manipulation unit 10D may be configured to generate a first signal S1D (see Fig. 31) according to the rotation of the control knob 11D and a second signal S2D ​​(see Fig. 31) according to the pressing of the control button 11D. The manipulation unit 10D can be provided with a surface (an upper surface in Fig. 27) of the support plate 34D. The body 40D may be arranged to face the support plate 34D. The tilting mechanism 70D may comprise a cylindrical axis 321D connected to the support plate 34D and a bearing 43D fixed to the body 40D. The axis 321D may be perpendicular to the rotation axis P10, wherein the bearing 43D may rotatably support the axis 321D along the circumference of the axis 321D. The tilting mechanism 70D may allow the support plate 34D to pivot about the axis 321D so that the support plate 34D can be moved between a first manipulation position (see Fig. 27) and a second manipulation position (see Fig. 30) is movable.

[0136] The detector 33D can be mounted on the surface (the upper surface in Fig. 27) of the carrier plate 34D, wherein the detector 33D can be designed to detect a third signal S3D (see Fig. 31) when the carrier plate 34D is in the second manipulation position.

[0137] The manipulation unit 10D can press the operation knob 11D to output the second signal S2D. The manipulation unit 10D can tilt the operation knob 11D to move the support plate 34D from the first manipulation position to the second manipulation position, and the detector 33D can output the third signal S3D. In other words, the input device 100D can detect three operations, including the rotation of the operation knob 11D, the pressing of the operation knob 11D, and the tilting of the operation knob 11D, and output the first signal S1D, the second signal S2D, and the third signal S3D according to the above operations. Thus, the manipulation unit 10D can enable various input forms.

[0138] The input device is described in detail below.

[0139] The input device 100D can be the manipulation unit 10D (see Fig. 26) and an output unit 20D (see Fig. 31). The manipulation unit 10D (the control knob 11D) can rotate about the rotation axis P10, move along the rotation axis P10, and move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10.

[0140] The output unit 20D can output the first signal S1D corresponding to the rotation direction of the manipulation unit 10D in response to a rotation of the manipulation unit 10D. Furthermore, the output unit 20D can output the second signal S2D ​​in response to a movement of the manipulation unit 10D along the rotation axis P10. Furthermore, the output unit 20D can output the third signal S3D in response to a movement of the manipulation unit 10D in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10.

[0141] The input device 100D having the above-described configuration can output a signal (the first signal S1D, the second signal S2D, or the third signal S3D) corresponding to the individual movement of the manipulation unit 10D movable in different directions (the rotation direction, the movement direction along the rotation axis P10, and the movement direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10).

[0142] Thus, the input device 100D can provide various forms of input.

[0143] As described above, the input device 100D may include the manipulation unit 10D and the output unit 20D, wherein the input device 100D may further include a base unit 30D and a housing 40D that are mechanically coupled to the manipulation unit 10D.

[0144] As in Fig. 26, the manipulation unit 10D may include the control knob 11D and an encoder 12D, where the encoder 12D is an example of a rotating operating electronic part. The control knob 11D may be used by a user to manually operate the input device 100D. The control knob 11D may be a rotating part rotatably coupled to the encoder 12D. In particular, the control knob 11D may have a cylindrical shape with an open bottom. The encoder 12D may be positioned between the control knob 11D and the sub-unit 30D. The encoder 12D may be mechanically coupled to the control knob 11D. Furthermore, the encoder 12D may be mechanically coupled to the sub-unit 30D. Alternatively, the encoder 12D may also be an absolute encoder or an incremental encoder.Alternatively, a variable resistor designed as a rotating operating electronic part that enables pushing (pushing) like the encoder 12D can replace the encoder 12D.

[0145] The encoder 12D may include a coupling element 121D, a first terminal 122D, and a second terminal 123D. The coupling element 121D may be coupled to the control knob 11D. Furthermore, the coupling element 121D may cooperate with the control knob 11D of the manipulation unit 10D to be rotatable in the rotation direction of the control knob 11D and to move toward the sub-unit 30D. In particular, the encoder 12D may have a substantially cylindrical shape, wherein the encoder 12D may include the coupling element 121D provided at a first end portion thereof and the first and second terminals 122D and 123D at a second end portion thereof. The coupling element 121D may rotate about the rotation axis P10 and be pressed along the rotation axis P10. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 27, the control knob 11D can be coupled to the coupling element 12D. Thus, the control knob 11D can be rotated about the rotation axis P10 and pressed along the rotation axis P10 together with the coupling element 12D.

[0146] The first terminal 122D can output the first signal S1D corresponding to the rotation direction of the coupling element 121D. That is, the first signal S1D can be a signal corresponding to the degree of rotation of the control knob 11D. For example, the first signal S1D can have a signal level corresponding to the angle of rotation of the control knob 11D. In particular, the first signal S1D can be a signal indicating a rotation angle of the control knob 11D about the rotation axis P10. The second terminal 123D can output the second signal S2D ​​corresponding to the movement of the coupling element 121D toward the sub-unit 30D. That is, the second signal S2D ​​can be a signal corresponding to the pressing of the control knob 11D. For example, the second signal S2D ​​can have a signal level corresponding to the extent to which the control knob 11D is pressed.

[0147] The encoder 12D can be mounted on the surface (the upper surface in Fig. 27) of the support plate 34D, wherein the first terminal 122D and the second terminal 123D of the encoder 12D can be electrically connected to the support plate 34D. In particular, the rotation axis P10 of the coupling element 121D of the encoder 12D can coincide with (or be aligned with) an axis aligned along a thickness direction of the support plate 34D. Thus, the manipulation unit 10D can be mounted on the surface (the upper surface in Fig. 27) of the support plate 34D. Additionally, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 35D may be mounted on the support plate 34D. The FPCB 35D may transmit an output signal from the encoder 12D to the outside of the input device 100D. The FPCB 35D may include a first output part 21D and a second output part 22D.

[0148] The sub-unit 30D may include a movable element 32D and the detector 33D.

[0149] The movable element 32D can support the encoder 12D and the detector 33D. In particular, the movable element 32D can support the support plate 34D, thereby supporting the encoder 12D and the detector 33D mounted on the support plate 34D. The movable element 32D can have a pivot point located between a force point and a load point, so that the movable element 32D can be tilted from its initial position to two opposite positions like a seesaw. Alternatively, by preventing the movable element 32D from moving in the opposite direction from the initial position, the movable element 32D can be allowed to move only in one direction from a reference point, wherein the movable element 32D can have the load point positioned between the force point and the pivot point, or the force point can be positioned between the load point and the pivot point.Alternatively, the movable element 32D may also be a flat plate.

[0150] The movable element 32D can move like a rocker, whereby the axis of the pivot point of the rocking movement and the rotation axis P10 of the control knob 11D or the coupling element 121D must not intersect at right angles (cross). This means that the axis of the pivot point of the rocking movement and the rotation axis P10 can be offset from each other, which can prevent pressing the coupling element 121D (movement along the rotation axis P10) from having an effect on the movable element 32D.

[0151] In particular, the movable member 32D may include the pair of axes 321D. The movable member 32D may have a rectangular plate shape. The pair of axes 321D may extend in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10 of the control knob 11D. As shown in Fig. 25, the pair of axes 321D may protrude from opposite sides of the movable member 32D on an axis line aligned along a width direction of the movable member 32D. As shown in the Fig. 25 and Fig. As shown in Figure 27, the support plate 34D may be fixed to a first surface of the movable member 32D along an axis line aligned along a thickness direction of the movable member 32D. The movable member 32D may include a recess 325D formed in the first surface, wherein the recess 325D can receive the support plate 34D. The movable member 32D may have a plurality of claws 326D for holding the support plate 34D received in the recess 325D.

[0152] The detector 33D may be positioned to be pressed by the movable element 32D. When the movable element 32D moves in a tilting direction, the detector 33D may output the third signal S3D. For example, the detector 33D may comprise a push button switch, a membrane switch, or a pressure sensor. When the detector 33D is pressed by the movable element 32D, the detector 33D may detect the tilting of the movable element 32D. In the exemplary embodiment, the detector 33D may comprise an actuating part 331D. When the actuating part 331D is pressed, the detector 33D may output the third signal S3D.

[0153] According to an exemplary embodiment, the detector 33D may be a tactile switch with an elastically movable contact or an elastic element. When a force is removed from the actuating part 331D (the actuating part 331D is not pressed), the actuating part 331D of the detector 33D may return to its original position due to the elastically movable contact or the elasticity of the elastic element.

[0154] In the exemplary embodiment, the detector 33D may be mounted on the support plate 34D, wherein the detector 33D and the encoder 12D may be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the support plate 34D. The detector 33D may be positioned on the support plate 34D, and when the movable member 32D moves in a tilting direction, the detector 33D may be pressed by a pressure rib 45D of the housing 40D and the movable member 32D.

[0155] The housing 40D may include an upper portion 41D and a through-hole 431D into which the shaft 321D of the movable member 32D is inserted. The upper portion 41D may include a recess 411D that receives the control knob 11D. In particular, a through-hole 412D may be formed in the bottom of the recess 411D to allow the encoder 12D to pass through.

[0156] Furthermore, the housing 40D may include the pair of bearings 43D that support the movable member 32D to enable the pivoting of the movable member 32D. The pair of bearings 43D may be formed on both sides of a bottom surface of the upper portion 41D with respect to the through-hole 412D. Each bearing 43D may include the through-hole 431D. The pair of axes 321D of the movable member 32D may be inserted into the through-holes 431D in the pair of bearings 43D, whereby the movable member 32D can pivot about the axes 321D with respect to the housing 40D. The support plate 34D, to which the manipulation unit 10D is connected, may be fixed to the movable member 32D.Thus, the housing 40D and the movable element 32D can form the tilting mechanism 70D in which the support plate 34D pivots about the axes 321D, wherein the tilting mechanism 70D can be designed such that the support plate 34D can move between the first manipulation position (see . Fig. 27) and the second manipulation position (see Fig. 30). For example, the first manipulation position may be a position where the rotational axis P10 of the coupling element 121D of the encoder 12D coincides with (or is aligned with) the axis line aligned along the thickness direction of the support plate 34D. For example, the second manipulation position may be a position where the pressure rib 45D of the housing 40D contacts the detector 33D.

[0157] Furthermore, the housing 40D may include the pressure rib 45D and a stop member 46D. The pressure rib 45D may be disposed on the underside of the upper portion 41C of the housing 41D opposite the actuating part 331D of the detector 33D. The pressure rib 45D and the support plate 34D may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance d. A timing at which the actuating part 331D of the detector 33D is pressed by the movement of the movable member 32D may be adjusted by varying the distance d between the support plate 34D and the pressure rib 45D.

[0158] According to an exemplary embodiment, when the detector 33D is a tact switch with an elastically movable contact or an elastic element, the distance d between the support plate 34D and the pressure rib 45D may be equal to a length of the detector 33D. When the operating part 331D of the detector 33D is not pressed, the distance d between the support plate 34D and the pressure rib 45D can be kept stable by the elastically movable contact of the detector 33D or the elasticity of the elastic element, thereby facilitating the return of the movable element 32D from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position.

[0159] The movable member 32D may have a first end portion and a second end portion at both ends thereof in a longitudinal direction thereof. The axis 321D may be located near the first end portion, and the detector 33D may be located near the second end portion. The stopper member 46D may support the second end portion of the movable member 32D to allow the movable member 32D to maintain the first manipulation position. The upper portion 41D of the housing 41D may be provided with a vertical portion 48D extending downward in the vertical direction, and the stopper member 46D may extend horizontally from a lower end of the vertical portion 48D. The stopper member 46D may support a bottom surface of the second end portion of the movable member 32D, thereby allowing the movable member 32D to maintain the first manipulation position.When the movable member 32D pivots about the axis 321D, the second end portion of the movable member 32D can be movable between the pressure rib 45D and the stopper member 46D, and when a tilting force on the movable member 32D is removed, the movable member 32D can be returned from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position by its own weight. Specifically, since the axis 321D is closer to the first end portion than to the second end portion, the axis 321D can be bent from the center of the movable member 32D toward the first end portion. Thus, the movable member 32D can be easily returned from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position by its own weight.

[0160] In the exemplary embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a restoring force for restoring the movable member 32D from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position, the elastic member may be omitted.

[0161] As described above, the input device 100D may include: the manipulation unit 10D (the operation knob 11D) that is rotatable, movable along the rotation axis P10, and movable in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10; and the output unit 20D that outputs the first signal S1D corresponding to the rotation direction of the manipulation unit 10D (the operation knob 11D), the second signal S2D ​​corresponding to the movement of the manipulation unit 10D (the operation knob 11D) along the rotation axis P10, and the third signal S3D corresponding to the movement of the manipulation unit 10D (the operation knob 11D) in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10.

[0162] The input device 100D may further comprise the sub-unit 30D, which is mechanically coupled to the manipulation unit 10D. The manipulation unit 10D may comprise the rotating part (control knob) 11D and the rotary actuation electronic part (encoder) 12D, which is positioned between the rotating part 11D and the sub-unit 30D. The rotary actuation electronic part 12D may be mechanically coupled to the rotating part 11D. The rotary actuation electronic part 12D may comprise the coupling element 121D, wherein the coupling element 121D can rotate in the rotational direction and move toward the sub-unit 30D. The rotary actuation electronic part 12D may include the first terminal 122D that outputs the first signal S1D corresponding to the rotation direction of the coupling element 121D, and the second terminal 123D that outputs the second signal S2D ​​corresponding to the movement of the coupling element 121D to the sub-unit 30D.The base unit 30D may include the movable member 32D capable of tilting, which movable member 32D may support the rotary actuation electronic part 12D. The base unit 30D may be arranged to be pressed by the movable member 32D and the pressing rib 45D of the housing 40D, and may include the detector 33D that outputs the third signal S3D corresponding to the movement of the movable member 32D in its tilting direction. The output unit 20D may include the first output part 21D electrically connected to the first terminal 122D, the second output part 22D electrically connected to the second terminal 123D, and a third output part 23D electrically connected to the third terminal (detector) 33D.

[0163] The input device 100D with the configuration described above can operate as follows. The operation of the input device 100D will now be described with reference to the Fig. 27 to 30 described.

[0164] Fig. Figure 27 illustrates an initial state in which no load is applied to the input device 100D. In this state, the support plate 34D may be in the first manipulation position. When the control knob 11D rotates about the rotation axis P10 in this state, the first signal S1D may be output from the first terminal 122D of the encoder 12D, wherein the first signal S1D may be output via the first output part 21D (see Fig. 31).

[0165] Fig. Fig. 28 illustrates a pressing state in which a pressing force F41 is applied to the operation button 11D of the input device 100D in a top-down direction. By pressing the operation button 11D in this state, the second signal S2D ​​can be output from the second terminal 123D of the transmitter 12D, and the second signal S2D ​​can be output from the second output part 22D (see Fig. 28).

[0166] Fig. Figure 29 illustrates a deep pressing condition in which a pressing force F42 which is greater than the pressing force F41 from Fig. 28, is applied to the operation button 11D of the input device 100D in the up-down direction. In this state, the coupling element 121D of the encoder 12D may be inserted into a body of the encoder 12D, and the operation button 11D may be further inserted into the recess 411D of the upper portion 41D. When such a mechanism is employed and the operation button 11D is strongly pressed, the encoder 12D may serve as a cushion. Thus, when the encoder 12D presses the support plate 34D, it can dampen the mechanical force exerted on the support plate 34D.

[0167] Fig. Fig. 30 illustrates a tilting state in which a force F43 is applied to the operation button 11D of the input device 100D in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis P10 (a left direction in Fig. 30). Accordingly, the movable element 32D and the support plate 34D can pivot about the axis 321D and move from the first manipulation position to the second manipulation position. In this state, the third signal S3D can be output from the detector 33D, wherein the third signal S3D can be output via the third output part 23D. Fig. 30, a pressed portion of the movable member 32D can move upward, and accordingly, the detector 33D can be moved upward by the movable member 32D, and the detector 33D can be pressed by the pressing rib 45D of the housing 40D. However, a portion of the movable member 32D opposite to the pressed portion of the movable member 32D can move downward, and accordingly, the detector 33D can be pushed upward by the movable member 32D. In this state where the tilting force is removed, the movable member 32D can be returned from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position due to the dead weight of the movable member 32D and / or the elasticity of the elastically movable contact of the detector 33D.

[0168] As described above, the input device 100D can recognize three operations, including the rotation of the operation knob 11D, the pressing of the operation knob 11D, and the tilting of the operation knob 11D, and can output the output signals S1D, S2D, and S3D corresponding to the three operations, respectively. Thus, various forms of input can be possible with one input unit 10D. Electronic device of embodiment 4

[0169] Examples of a 1000D electronic device are: Input devices such as remote controls; AV devices such as recorders, televisions, video players; lighting fixtures such as overhead lights, indirect lighting devices, and spotlights; electrical appliances such as air conditioners, freezers, cleaning devices, and dryers; vehicles such as electric vehicles, gas-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and motorcycles; and vehicle electronics devices such as vehicle navigation systems, vehicle audio systems, in-vehicle televisions, and vehicle air conditioning systems.

[0170] A microcontroller (MCU) 200 may include a first input port 203, a second input port 202, and a third input port 201. The first input unit 21D, the second input unit 22D, and the third input unit 23D may be electrically connected to the first input port 203, the second input port 202, and the third input port 201. Furthermore, a path between the first output part 21D and the first input port 203, a path between the second output part 22D and the second input port 202, and a path between the third output part 23D and the third input port 201 may be electrically independent of each other.

[0171] The MCU 200 can determine which input device (the first to third input terminals 203, 202, and 201) receives an output signal (the first to third output signals S1D, S2D, and S3D) as input, respectively. The MCU 200 can determine the input value described above based on duration, voltage waveforms, or electrical pulses.

[0172] The MCU 200 can be electrically connected to an object (a load) 300 to regulate or control the object 300 in the electronic device described above. Examples of the object include a display device, a motor, a lighting device, a timer, and a speaker. The MCU 200 can control the object 300 via a control terminal 204.

[0173] For example, according to exemplary embodiments, the input device 100D may be electrically connected to a vehicle audio system, a vehicle air conditioning system, a vehicle lighting system, and a vehicle television. An output destination may be switched between the vehicle audio system, the vehicle air conditioning system, the vehicle lighting system, and the vehicle television by tilting. The output destination may be switched to the vehicle air conditioning system in response to tilting left. The output destination may be switched to the vehicle television in response to tilting backward. Alternatively, the output destination may be switched with each tilting left.

[0174] If the tilting action doesn't continue for a certain time, it can optionally be ignored. In this case, if the press or turn occurs within the set time after the tilting, it can be considered an input. Thus, a user may not need to remember a previous actuation. If a current output target is displayed on a monitor or the like, the user doesn't need to check it each time the input is processed.

[0175] Alternatively, in order to display color information to inform the user of the destination of an output, the manipulation unit 10D (the operation button 11D) may be made of a transparent material, and a light source such as LED, LCD, and an organic electroluminescent device may be arranged inside the input device 100D.

[0176] For example, various parameters such as volume, temperature, air flow, brightness, and color can be set based on engine speed. For example, if the temperature of the air conditioner rises, the color can turn red (warm color), and if the temperature of the air conditioner drops, the color can turn blue (cool color). For example, if the speaker volume increases, the color can change from white to black or green.

[0177] For example, when a press is performed, the MCU 200 may determine the operation. If the press is not performed within the set time, the MCU 200 may determine that the operation is aborted and then return to the initial state.

[0178] As described above, the electronic device 1000D may include the input device 100D according to the exemplary embodiments using the one manipulation unit 10D to enable various forms of input. This may improve the design and usability. Switching the function of the electronic device by tilting

[0179] When a tilting force is applied to the operating button 11D, a function of the electronic device can be switched depending on an amount of the tilting force.

[0180] With reference to Fig. 32, when the tilting force is applied to the control knob 11D, the tilting force can be measured by a force measuring device. The force measuring device can be connected to the detector 33D, wherein the force measuring device can be a force sensor such as a strain gauge.

[0181] It can be determined whether the tipping force during operation S11 is less than a specified threshold. For example, the specified threshold can be 1 N (Newton).

[0182] If the measured tilting force is less than the predetermined threshold, the electronic device 1000D may perform a first function in step S12. For example, if the electronic device 1000D is a vehicle audio system, the first function may be a function for adjusting the volume of the vehicle audio system.

[0183] If the measured tilting force is greater than the predetermined threshold, the electronic device 1000D may perform a second function in step S13. For example, if the electronic device 1000D is the vehicle audio system, the second function may be a frequency adjustment function of the vehicle audio system.

[0184] According to an alternative embodiment, the function of the electronic device can be switched according to the number of times the control button 11D of the input device 100D is tilted.

[0185] For example, it can be determined whether the number of tilt movements of the control knob 11D is less than a predefined threshold. If the number of tilt movements is less than the predefined threshold (e.g., two tilt movements), the electronic device 1000D can perform a first function (e.g., volume adjustment), and if the number of tilt movements is greater than the predefined threshold, the electronic device 1000D can perform a second function (e.g., frequency adjustment). The number of tilt movements can be recorded by a counter connected to the MCU 200.

[0186] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, but may be modified and changed in various ways by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as claimed in the following claims. List of reference symbols 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D manipulation unit 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D control button 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D sub-unit 31A, 31B, 31C second carrier plate 32A, 32B, 32C, 32D movable element 33A, 33B, 33C, 33D detector 34A, 34B, 34C first carrier plate 34D carrier plate 40A housing 40B, 40C, 40D body 43A, 43D bearings 70A, 70B, 70C, 70C, 70D tilt mechanism 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D input device 321A, 331D axle

Claims

[1] Input device (100A) comprising: a manipulation unit (10A) comprising an operating knob (11A) which enables rotation of the operating knob (11A) about a rotation axis (P10) and pressing of the operating knob (11A) along the rotation axis (P10) and is designed to output a first signal (S1A) according to the rotation of the operating knob (11A) and a second signal (S2A) according to the pressing of the operating knob (11A); a first support plate (34A) having a surface on which the manipulation unit (10A) is mounted; a second carrier plate (31A) arranged on a side of the first carrier plate (34A) opposite the manipulation unit (10A); a tilting mechanism (70A) comprising an axis of circular cylindrical shape fixed to the first support plate (34A) perpendicular to the rotation axis (P10), and comprising a bearing (43A) fixed to the second support plate (31A) for holding the axis rotatable about the axis (321A) and allowing the first support plate (34A) to pivot about the axis (321A) between a first manipulation position and a second manipulation position relative to the second support plate (31A); a detector (33A) mounted on a surface of the second support plate (31A) facing the first support plate (34A) and configured to output a third signal (S3A) when the first support plate (34A) is in the second manipulation position; a movable member (32A) mounted on the first support plate (34A), the movable member (32A) facing the second support plate (31A); and an elastic element (50A) for transmitting an elastic force to the first support plate (34A) to move the first support plate (34A) from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position, wherein the movable member (32A) comprises a projection (323A) and a support (324A) projecting from the movable member (32A) toward the second support plate (31A), wherein the projection is located at one end in a longitudinal axis of the movable element (32A) and the support is located at the other end in the longitudinal axis of the movable element (32A), and wherein the elastic element (50A) is arranged around the projection (323A) and the carrier (324A) is arranged to be supported on the second carrier plate (31A). [2] Input device (100B) comprising: a manipulation unit (10B) comprising an operating knob (11B) and enabling rotation of the operating knob (11B) about a rotation axis (P10) and pressing of the operating knob (11B) along the rotation axis (P10) and configured to output a first signal (S1B) corresponding to the rotation of the operating knob (11B) and a second signal (S2B) corresponding to the pressing of the operating knob (11B); a body (40B) holding the manipulation unit (10B) to enable it to move from a first manipulation position to a second manipulation position along a direction of pressing the operation button (11B); a first support plate (34B) having a surface to which the manipulation unit (10B) is attached; a second support plate (31B) opposite the first support plate (34B); and a movable element (32B) supporting the first support plate (34B), a detector (33B) arranged on the second support plate (31B) and configured to output a third signal (S3B) when the manipulation unit (10B) is in the second manipulation position, wherein the movable element (32B) is arranged to move towards the detector (33B) by pressing the handle, wherein the movable member (32B) has a stop (327B) projecting from the movable member (32B) toward the second support plate (31B), and wherein the stop (327B) can be brought into contact with the second carrier plate (31B). [3] The input device (100B) according to claim 2, further comprising a return element (50B) for transmitting an elastic force to the manipulation unit (10B) to move the manipulation unit (10B) from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position. [4] Input device (100C) comprising: a manipulation unit (10C) comprising an operating knob (11C) which enables rotation of the operating knob (11C) about a rotation axis (P10) and pressing of the operating knob (11C) along the rotation axis (P10) and is designed to output a first signal (S1C) according to the rotation of the operating knob (11C) and a second signal (S2C) according to the pressing of the operating knob (11C); a body (40C) holding the manipulation unit (10C) to enable it to move from a first manipulation position to a second manipulation position along an opposite direction from a direction of pressing the operation button (11C); and a detector (33C) configured to output a third signal (S3C) when the manipulation unit (10C) is in the second manipulation position. [5] The input device (100C) according to claim 4, further comprising a return element (50C) for transmitting an elastic force to the manipulation unit (10C) to move the manipulation unit (10C) from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position. [6] Input device (100D) comprising: a manipulation unit (10D) comprising an operating knob (11D) which is rotatable about a rotation axis (P10) and can be pressed along the rotation axis (P10), and outputs a first signal (S1D) corresponding to the rotation of the operating knob (11D) and a second signal (S2D) corresponding to the pressing of the operating knob (11D); a support plate (34D) having a surface to which the manipulation unit (10D) is attached; a body (40D) arranged facing the support plate (34D); a tilting mechanism (70D) comprising a cylindrical axis (331D) fixed to the support plate (34D) and a bearing (43D) fixed to the body (40D), the axis being perpendicular to the rotation axis (P10), the bearing (43D) supporting the axis (331D) rotatably about the axis, the tilting mechanism (70D) enabling the support plate (34D) to pivot about the axis (331D) between a first manipulation position and a second manipulation position; and a detector (33D) arranged on the surface of the carrier plate (34D) facing the body (40D) and outputting a third signal (S3D) when the carrier plate (34D) is in the second manipulation position. [7] Input device (100D) according to claim 6, wherein the support plate (34D) moves from the second manipulation position to the first manipulation position by its own weight. [8] The input device according to claim 1, wherein the first signal is a signal indicating a rotation angle about the rotation axis (P10) of the operation knob (11D).

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